Accounting

The Institute launched a Web-based survey to assess how well private company financial reports meet the needs of those who use them: bank lenders; investors and venture capital/buyout companies; surety, bonding and insurance companies; business owners and managers; and auditors and others ( http://survey.themsrgroup.com/aicpa.html ). The survey also asks whether the cost of gathering information for private-company GAAP-based financial statements—as in public-company reporting—is justified. The online poll and a telephone survey augmenting it will continue until September 15. While individual responses will be kept confidential, the general results of the survey will be announced this fall. A related discussion paper offers differing views on various aspects of private-company financial reporting ( www.aicpa.org/members/div/acctstd/pvtco_fincl_reprt/index.htm ).